§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have taken place between BAE Systems and the Department regarding the Saudi Armed Forces Project office of the Ministry of Defence between 2000 and 2002; when these discussions took558W place; what the nature of each discussion was; what the outcome of each was; and if he will make a statement. [171609]
§ Mr. IngramThe saudi Armed Forces Project, which is a part of the Ministry of Defence, is responsible for fulfilling the MOD's obligations in respect of the Al Yamamah (AY) programme. This includes monitoring the progress and performance of the programme prime contractor, BAE Systems, in the delivery of goods and services supplied to the Saudi Armed Forces. In this role and as the Department's focal point for AY matters, there is daily contact between members of the Project and representatives of BAE Systems on a wide range of issues affecting the performance of the AY contracts.